Christmas in Baltimore
I wasn't really lonely being all by myself for the holidays. I knew I had people who loved me, even if they were far away. I made a choice to stay here and work, because I knew they always had trouble finding people to work the holidays. I was working 3-11 every day except Friday, so I was busy.
I liked being by myself. I think this is the longest I've ever been on my own. It was nice to just drop all my stuff as soon as I walked in the door (if someone else did that it would annoy me), except for my keys, held menacingly in my hands when I checked all the rooms ("I am no man!"). Except for the basement, which is just too scary to check in the middle of the night.
On Christmas day, Matt called me in the morning to wish me a merry Christmas. Aw. None of my actual housemates thought to call me. James had sent me one of my presents because he said I could use it this winter. Even though I said we were going to exchange presents in January, it was nice to have one present to open up on Christmas day, especially since the residents at D0n Miller got so many. Oh, boo-hoo, they have AIDS! And that's often only the start of their problems! No church group gets a collection together for a 22-year-old woman in good health with everything going for her! Seriously, though, my residents got a good haul. One of them opened all her presents at 12:01 on Christmas. He gave me these really warm and fuzzy slippers. I'm noticing a foot-centricity in our presents. Last year he got socks from me. It's what he wanted. And the slippers came with a CD, "Shoe love is true love", with all foot-related songs, like "Walk like an Egyptian" and "Walking after Midnight".
My family called. My parents are paying one month of my college loans for my present, which is something I could really use. This is the first Christmas of my parents' marriage that I wasn't there. Oh well, had to happen sometime.
I went to St. Peter & James for Christmas mass. It's the nearest church to me, three blocks away. It was decorated gorgeously for the holy day, with scads of poinsettias and Christmas trees. Their organ was being played for the first time that day since it has been fixed. The lector was blind, so he has a braille lectionary he brought up with him.
Then I went to work, and there was only one resident in my house, so we went to the house next door to make up a full six for dinner. Miss Gloria had made a turkey with all the trimmings. I'm glad I was able to be there for Christmas dinner. I'm really lucky to have a family that loves me. Except for the Ethiopian, everyone at D0n Miller is from Baltimore and has family in the area, but three of them didn't go home at all.
Friday was my day off, and also the day I was most sick. But I had already bought a ticket to see The Return of the King at the Senator, so I got on the bus to go. The Senator is awesome. They have one screen and 900 seats. I'm glad I got to see the movie there.
Yesterday everybody came home. Jon and I gave Matt his futon mattress from everyone in our house, because he has a frame and never bought the mattress in the four months he's been living in his apartment. He was really touched and said he had to do something nice for us now. As if he hadn't already lent me his car for the week, and done so many nice things for us which led us to give him the present. Some people are too nice.
